1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disposable cleaning article to be held by a holder and used as a cleaning mop or by a hand and, more particularly, to a cleaning article provided with a brush portion having a high effect to trap dust and a high rigidity.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the cleaning article of the conventional mop type for cleaning the room, its brush portion is usually formed of twisted yarns of cotton or the like. However, the cleaning article of this kind is so expensive in manufacturing cost that it is difficult to sold it as a disposable (i.e., single-use) product. In addition, the cleaning article of this kind can absorb dust by an adhesive oil agent such as liquid paraffin, which is applied to the surfaces of the twisted yarns; but the twisted yarns per se are not good in dust trapping power. Therefore, it has a defect in capability of trapping hair or the like.
On the other hand, the cleaning articles as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 154791/1997 and 38009/1997 are designed for disposable use. These cleaning articles can be attached to a holder. The former is formed by laminating two sheets of nonwoven fabric to leave their peripheral portions unadhered to each other; and the latter is formed by cutting a peripheral portion of a nonwoven fabric to form a duster portion having long narrow strips.
These cleaning articles, as disclosed in the above-mentioned official gazettes and formed of a nonwoven fabric, are inexpensive and suitable for disposable use. Moreover, they can easily wipe off fine dust. However, the cleaning articles per se are so flat that the capability of trapping relatively large dust is low.
On the other hand, disposable cleaning articles in which a brush portion is formed of fibers are also known in the art. However, since the brush portion is formed only of fibers, the rigidity of the brush portion is lowered. Therefore, the fibers are entangled or curled during the cleaning operation. As a result, the portion to function substantially as the brush portion is compressed to cause a defect that the dust trapping effect of the fibers cannot be sufficiently exhibited.
The present invention has an object to provide a cleaning article which is provided with a brush portion having a high dust collecting ability and a high shape retention and which can be manufactured at a low cost.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a cleaning article comprising a brush portion including: a plurality of strips; and at least one layer of a fiber bundle.
This cleaning article can trap fine dust with its fiber bundle layer forming the brush portion, while suppressing the entanglement of the fibers with the strips. In addition, the strips per se can exhibit the cleaning effect. With the strips, moreover, the brush portion is so increased in rigidity as to have a high shape retention against an external force.
For example, this cleaning article may be constructed such that at least one sheet having the plurality of strips formed therein and the fiber bundle layer are stacked on and partially joined to a base material. If they are thus joined, disaggregation or entanglement of fibers forming the fiber bundle layer can be suppressed so that the dust trapping ability of the brush portion is also enhanced at its face adjacent to the base material.
The base material may be a sheet formed with strips. This can enhance the contact with the object to be cleaned, which may have various surface shapes, so that the dust trapping ability can be further improved.
The cleaning article according to the first aspect of the invention may be constructed such that the sheet appears on the outermost face of the cleaning article on its cleaning side. In this construction, since the strips having a relatively high rigidity are positioned on the outermost face, there hardly occurs a phenomenon that fibers of the fiber bundle layer are entangled and fixed during the cleaning operation, so that the cleaning article can stand the use of a long term.
Alternatively, the fiber bundle layer may appear on the outermost face of the cleaning article on its cleaning side, in place of the secondary sheet. In this construction, the fiber bundle layer can conform to the fine irregularities of the object to be cleaned, to thereby have an improved contact. Therefore, the fine dust trapping ability can be improved.
Here, it is preferred that fibers of the fiber bundle layer are fixed to one another over a predetermined length from a portion where the fiber bundle layer is joined to the base material. With the fibers of the fiber bundle layer being fixed to one another over a predetermined length from the joining portion, even if the fiber bundle layer appears on the outermost face, the fibers of the fiber bundle layer can be prevented from being entangle or massed by the friction during the cleaning operation.
It is also possible that another fiber bundle layer is provided such that one fiber bundle layer closer to the base material has a basis weight larger than that of the other fiber bundle layer closer to the outermost face of the cleaning article on its cleaning side. In this construction, the base material can be prevented during the cleaning operation from being exposed on the cleaning side of the cleaning article. In addition, the cleaning article can provide a sufficient cushioning feel during the cleaning operation.
Preferably, the base material is provided on its outer face opposed to the cleaning face with a holding sheet. In this construction, for example, between the outer face of the base material and the holding sheet, there may be formed a holding space into which a hand of a user or a holder is enabled to be inserted.
Moreover, the fiber bundle layer may be joined to the base material at two sides of the holding space extending in a direction along which the hand or holder is permitted to be inserted. In this construction, the object to be cleaned is not affected by the hardness of the holder so that the cleaning article provides a smooth contact feel when used for cleaning operation.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a cleaning article comprising: at least two sheets, at least one of which has a plurality of strips; and at least two layers of a fiber bundle, wherein the two sheets are overlaid and joined to each other at two joining portions, which define a holding space between the confronting faces of the two sheets, and the two fiber bundle layers are disposed on the cleaning faces, respectively, of the two sheets, and are joined thereto at the two joining portions.
The cleaning article according to the second aspect of the invention can exhibit the cleaning function on both its surface and back. Therefore, it can be used for cleaning operation without any attention to its cleaning side. Moreover, since the cleaning article can be used for cleaning operation firstly with one face and then with the other face, a long life is allowed.
In this construction, too, it is possible that the strips and the fiber bundle layers form a brush portion. Therefore, the cleaning article can trap fine dust while suppressing entanglement of fibers. In addition, the strips per se can exhibit the cleaning effect.
Here, it is possible that some of fibers of the fiber bundle layer are not extended continuously between the two joining portions so as to form fiber brush portions, each extending from one of the two joining portions and having a free end. These fiber brush portions can exhibit dust wiping function to thereby improve the cleaning ability.
For example, the two sheets and the fiber bundle layers may further be joined to one another midway between the two joining portions to divide the holding space into two parallel holding spaces, and the fiber extending direction in the fiber bundle layers may traverse the two holding spaces. In this construction, these holding spaces are preferably opened at their two opposite ends for insertion of the holder.
In the foregoing individual constructions, it is preferred that the fiber bundle layer is partially joined to adjacent strips, at midway positions of the adjacent strips. With this construction, the fiber bundle layer moves together with the strips so that the fiber bundle layer can be prevented from moving independently to have its fibers entangled or massed.
Moreover, it is preferred that a sheet for forming the strips is formed of either a nonwoven fabric comprising thermoplastic fibers or a thermoplastic resin film. Also, it is preferred that the fiber bundle comprises heat-fusible thermoplastic fibers. Here, the sheet having the strips and the fiber bundle layer can be joined to each other easily and quickly by heat-fusing. Especially if the thermoplastic fibers are used for forming the sheet, the nonwoven fabric can be manufactured by a through-air bonding process to have a high rigidity and elasticity.